Field Work: the RAF Blog
Photo Credits
Thanks to our grantees who provided photos for the site. Special thanks to photographer Alicia Arcidiacono.
Thanks to our grantees who provided photos for the site. Special thanks to photographer Alicia Arcidiacono.
Why Black Farmer Debt Relief Supports Healthy Soil and Water
RAF NewsScottie Pippen had a great Nike commercial from the early 1990s. The one-minute clip has Pippen, one of the two best players on the legendary Chicago Bulls dynasty, fall into a “time warp”. He’s suddenly dropped onto a 1950s-era basketball court and competing against a team of young men that look just like the image […]
Regenerative Farmer Gabe Brown Virtually Goes to Washington
RAF NewsThirty years ago Gabe Brown wasn’t sure if his North Dakota farm was economically viable. That financial stress forced him to consider other ways of farming that were less dependent on chemical inputs. Through years of experimentation and learning, Gabe has built a remarkably resilient farm on the North Dakota plains. He has become one […]
USDA Federal Farm Payments Leave Something to be Desired
RAF NewsRecent news has centered around the imminent priority shifts with a new presidential administration. President-elect Biden has stated a desire to address environmental concerns such as reducing carbon emissions, using resources more sustainably, and repairing ecological damage. In order to achieve this, President-elect Biden and the likely-Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will need to take […]
Screening of Gather on November 23
RAF NewsHosted by our friends at Real Food Media and Herbicide-Free Campus, join us on Monday evening for a free screening of Gather: The Fight to Revitalize Native Foodways. A fireside chat will follow that includes Anna Lappe, Melissa Nelson (Turtle Mountain Chippewa), Elizabeth Hoover (Editor, Indigenous Food Sovereignty in the United States), and Sanjay Rawal […]
Building a Broad, Inclusive Regenerative Agriculture Movement
RAF NewsWe at the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation were thrilled to be part of Global Minnesota’s October 16 World Food Day event. The day covered a huge swath of food issues, including food security, food safety, and sustainable development. Regenerative agriculture offers much more than just building health soils. Our session of World Food Day featured speakers […]
USDA, Climate Change, and Regenerative Agriculture
RAF NewsIn the U.S. food and agriculture sector, the United States Department of Agriculture is perceived as an 800 pound gorilla with significant influence over the direction of U.S. agriculture. The department includes 29 agencies, nearly 100,000 employees, and a $153 billion annual budget (roughly 80% of that budget is for food assistance). While USDA cannot […]
Regenerative Agriculture as Part of the Global Food Solution
RAF NewsOctober 16 is World Food Day 2020. Pandemics, disrupted supply chains, and exacerbated global hunger has a way of focusing the world’s attention on food. I would like to extend my gratitude to the World Food Program for its tireless work combatting hunger, as well as a huge congratulations for winning the Nobel Prize! The Regenerative Agriculture […]
Learning Regenerative Agriculture Principles from Reindeers
RAF NewsI just read a commentary about land and climate by author Judith Schwartz that provided a remarkably concise, compelling argument for regenerative agriculture. Schwartz is the author of the new book The Reindeer Chronicles , which explores regenerative relationships between people and the land from across the globe. Judith provides such a compelling argument for regenerative […]
October 1: Virtually View the California Landscape through a Basketweavers’ Eyes
RAF NewsRAF Native American Fiber Program Director Fred Briones also serves as a board member for the California Indian Basketweavers’ Association. Join him virtually on October 1 for a Facebook Live event for a view of the landscape through a basketweavers’ eyes! October 1, 2020 5 – 6pm PST www.facebook.com/californiaindianbasketweavers
Does Regenerative Agriculture Need More Metrics or More Vision?
Equity, RAF NewsI had the opportunity recently to present with A-dae Briones on a First Nations Development Institute webinar titled “Decolonizing Regenerative Agriculture”. Decolonization provides a powerful frame for visioning progress. And for an engineer-trained white man, it also challenges overall narratives. The webinar launched several new conversations for me about measuring vs. visioning. Within the large […]
Welcome to Climate Week 2020
RAF NewsDerechos, hurricanes, forest fires: an unfortunate lead-up to climate week, which launches on Sunday. At the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation, our hearts go out to everyone that has been impacted by these weather disasters. I’m glad to see a sense of urgency threaded throughout the various events next week, and really appreciate our partners at the […]
Regenerative Agriculture Alliance
Grantee StoryFor years, RAA founding board president Reginaldo Haslett Marroquin has watched regenerative agriculture practitioners experiment with techniques that were widely used on his Native landscape, the highlands of Western Guatemala. Regi recognized that while not called regenerative agriculture, indigenous cultures across the world had developed techniques that advance regenerative agriculture goals such as building soil, […]
Fibershed
Grantee StoryFibershed exemplifies a group of people taking an aspirational vision for the future and doing the hard work to turn it into a reality. Fibershed founder Rebecca Burgess developed a personal challenge for herself, to create a personal wardrobe that used dyes, fibers, and labor from within 150 miles. From that personal commitment emerged an […]
Native American Fiber Program
RAF NewsIndigenous people throughout the North American continent have cultivated, created, and propagated numerous fibers for a wide variety of practical uses long before the arrival of European settlers. From clothing, basketry, netting, and building materials, the fiber innovations and knowledge that maintained Indigenous existence often included cultivation, propagation, generational skill and knowledge bases, and an […]
Executive Director Announcement
RAF NewsDear Friends and Colleagues, We are delighted to announce the appointment of Mark Muller as the new Executive Director of the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation, effective March 15, 2020. Mark will succeed RAF Founder Kevin Boyer who will remain with the foundation as Program Director. Mark brings tremendous skills to RAF at a pivotal moment for […]